Current:Home > reviewsBattered by Hurricane Fiona, this is what a blackout looks like across Puerto Rico -Wealth Legacy Solutions
Battered by Hurricane Fiona, this is what a blackout looks like across Puerto Rico
EchoSense Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-03-11 07:26:25
Hurricane Fiona made landfall in the Dominican Republic on Monday morning, as millions in Puerto Rico face flash flooding, mudslides and an island-wide blackout.
The National Hurricane Center warned that the Category 1 hurricane is moving into the Atlantic and is likely to strengthen. Fiona, which is traveling with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, is forecast to travel near or east of the Turks and Caicos Islands as early as Monday night.
In Puerto Rico, the full extent of the damage is still unclear as the storm has unleashed torrential rains across much of the island, causing massive flooding and landslides. Island officials have said that some roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged or washed away as a result of the downpour.
Most of the island also remains without power, according to utility companies' reports tracked by PowerOutage.us. More than 775,000 residents also have no access to clean water.
The latest hurricane to batter the U.S. territory, Fiona struck two days before the fifth anniversary of Maria, the devastating storm that killed more than 3,000 people and nearly destroyed the island's electricity system.
On Monday, Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi called the damages to the island's housing and fragile infrastructure from the Category 1 storm "catastrophic."
"In many areas, flooding is worse than what we saw during Hurricane Maria," Pierluisi said during a press briefing.
"So far we've gotten about 30 inches of rain, even in areas where they had never experienced flooding," he added.
Heavy rainfall and life-threatening flooding risks are expected to last through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The saturation "will also continue to trigger mudslides and rockfall in areas of steep terrain."
Fiona's powerful winds and the subsequent deluge of rainfall knocked out the island's power grid, throwing the island into a blackout. Officials have said it will take several days to fully restore service to over a million residents.
Shortly after the hurricane struck on Sunday, Pierluisi said it would be a "matter of days," and not months, to fully restore the grid — referring to the drawn-out power restoration after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Since then, the island's power crews were able to restore electricity to about 100,000 customers living in the northeast region near the capital San Juan, Luma Energy, the island's private electric utility, wrote on Facebook.
President Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Sunday, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts.
Adrian Florido contributed reporting.
veryGood! (577)
Related
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Massachusetts man arrested after stabbing attack in AMC theater, McDonald's injured 6 people
- Christopher Bell prevails at NASCAR's rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600
- As Atlantic hurricane season begins, Florida community foundations prepare permanent disaster funds
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Pennsylvania man sentenced to 30 years in slaying of 14-year-old at New Jersey gas station
- NFL wants $25 billion in revenues by 2027. Netflix deal will likely make it a reality.
- WNBA Rookie of the Year odds: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese heavy favorites early on
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Rodeo star Spencer Wright's son opens eyes, lifts head days after river accident
Ranking
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Celtics rally late again to close out Pacers for 4-0 sweep in Eastern Conference finals
- The Tragic Truth About Amy Winehouse's Last Days
- The Tragic Truth About Amy Winehouse's Last Days
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Border bill fails Senate test vote as Democrats seek to underscore Republican resistance
- Bruce Springsteen and E Street postpone four European concerts amid 'vocal issues'
- In a north Texas county, dazed residents sift through homes mangled by a tornado
Recommendation
Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
‘Furiosa’ sneaks past ‘Garfield’ to claim No. 1 spot over Memorial Day holiday weekend
Bill Walton, Hall of Fame player who became a star broadcaster, dies at 71
Paris Hilton Shares Adorable Glimpse Into Family Vacation With Her and Carter Reum's 2 Kids
Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
Who's getting student loan forgiveness after $7.7 billion in relief? Here's a breakdown
Wisconsin judge sentences man to nearly 20 years in connection with 2016 firebombing incident
After a deadly heat wave last summer, metro Phoenix is changing tactics